Measuring research growth of National Dairy Research Institute: A quantitative analysis

Introduction

The ICAR-National Dairy Research Institute (NDRI) located in Karnal, Haryana is a leading institution in the dairy industry. The Institute has significantly aided the expansion of the Indian dairy sector and has been instrumental in establishing India as a prominent global milk producer through its research and advancements in dairy science. NDRI, with a history exceeding a century, traces its origins to the Imperial Institute for Animal Husbandry & Dairying, established in Bangalore in 1923 as a hub for dairy education. It was relocated to its current location in Karnal in 1955 and rebranded as the National Dairy Research Institute. The facilities of the Imperial Institute were preserved as the Southern Regional Station of NDRI, and subsequently, in 1964, the Eastern Regional Station was established in Kalyani, West Bengal. NDRI was placed under the jurisdiction of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) in 1970. The Institute is recognized as a Deemed to be University for its academic programs since 1989. NDRI achieved the top position among all Agricultural Universities in India for five consecutive years in the ICAR rankings from 2016 to 2021. The Institute has received accreditation from the National Agricultural Education Accreditation Board, ICAR, valid until 2026. In 2024, ICAR-NDRI achieved the second position in the National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF)-2024 within the Agriculture and Allied Category of the Union Ministry of Higher Education, Government of India. The Institute possesses ISO 9001:2015 certification. This distinctive campus features residential structures, numerous fully equipped research laboratories, and landscaped areas with enduring flora and gardens. The Institute provides well-appointed athletic amenities and appealing recreational options for its students and staff. In addition to the southern station in Bengaluru, the NDRI operates an Eastern Regional Station in Kalyani (Nadia district), approximately 50 km north of Kolkata (Annual Report, 2025) [1] . The Research productivity is an exceptional foundation for academic personnel to accomplish success and therefore, academics are currently being encouraged to improve their research contributions and efficiency in order to meet the changing needs of the 21st century (Adetomiwa et al., 2023) [2] . In order to guaranty the success of strategic plans and promote continuous development, it is imperative that organizations implement a comprehensive performance measurement system (Ranjan et al., 2015) [3] . Kpolovie et al. (2019) [4] assert that the most effective gage of research output in higher education is the publication of research papers in reputed journals as well as in the form of books or book chapters. On the same anology, Sunday et al. (2022) [5] investigated the influence of institutional elements on the research output of academic personnel in Nigeria. Nguyen et al. (2022) [6] investigated the output of 398 professors and researchers associated with VNU. Fulari (2021) [7] employed surveys, interviews, and observations to evaluate the research productivity of faculty at the Arts and Commerce College, Taharabad, connected with SPP University. Pal et al. (2020) [8] employed an informational framework to examine the literature on research production inside scientific entities such as departments and universities. The authors determined that disseminating research results enables scholars to exchange concepts and receive precise critical evaluations, which is essential for the socialization of science. Chavhan et al. (2026 a

) [9] discovered that Veterinary faculties in Maharashtra have proficiently shared knowledge through the organization of 705 seminars, workshops, and conferences; 473 scientific training sessions for field veterinarians, researchers, and academic personnel; 797 short-term training programs for farmers, small entrepreneurs, and unemployed youth; and 1957 expert discussions on radio and television. Similarly, Chavhan et al. (2026 b ) [10] also reported year over growth of research publication at IIT, Madras. Tripathi et al. (2026) [11] analyzed top agricultural institutions in India with respect to NIRF India rankings 2025. Despite these studies, there is limited analysis indicating year over year growth of research outputs of NDRI in particular and therefore the current study was conducted to assess the growth of research of NDRI.

Methodology

The information regarding the publications of research papers, book chapters, books, and patents was gathered from the annual reports for the years 2016-17 to 2025 accessible on the website of ICAR-National Dairy Research Institute (NDRI). The examination of performance metrics, including total output volumes, year-over-year growth, cumulative growth, and Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR), were calculated using following formulas. Where n = 8 years Regarding portfolio allocation, NAAS-rated journals with scores ranging from 6 to 9.99 constitute the essential foundation of the institution's research presence, accounting for the predominant share of 52.4% of total publications (1,644 out of 3,139 items) and sustaining a remarkably stable annual average of 182.67 papers. Prestigious journals (with an NAAS rating over 10) and journals without an NAAS rating represent small proportions of 8.7% and 11.5%, respectively. When considered comprehensively, the inverse correlation between the diminishing overall volume and the increasing prominence of high-rated NAAS signifies a purposeful institutional shift. The research landscape has shifted from emphasizing mere publication quantity to focusing on stringent, high-impact studies, exchanging lesser-rated and unassessed papers for prestigious academic positions. On the other hand, independent book publishing made up a small portion of the portfolio (11.28%), but as the conclusion of the term approached, their capacity increased significantly, peaking at 13 volumes in 2023-2024. Despite the positive annualized growth numbers, there is considerable yearly fluctuation in the information, which suggests inconsistent reporting or production procedures. Early on, total publications saw sharp drops that culminated in a low of just six publications in 2018-19. This fall was quickly followed by a remarkable year-over-year gain of 450.00% in 2019-20 and another notable increase of 167.74% in 2021-2022, which drove output to an unparalleled high of 83 publications. The ecosystem's basic structural integrity endures despite a notable 32.88% reduction during the late-stage downturn in 2024-2025. When taken as a whole, the net-positive compound growth rates show that the institution has successfully maintained a positive trend in its long-term literary and chapter production despite irregular batching cycles and regional annual downturns. Conversely, these surges were offset by abrupt declines, culminating in a complete cessation of output in 2023-2024. Primarily, the system exhibited exceptional structural resilience, achieving an immediate recovery from this zero baseline to its historical peak of eight patents in the subsequent year. Ultimately, the multi-year compound growth benchmark substantiates a highly efficient and evolving institutional framework for technology transfer and patent procurement, whereas the erratic annual growth rates underscore the capricious character of external application-to-grant procedures.

Results and Discussion

Research paper publications by ICAR-NDRI

Conclusion

The thorough examination of the institution's performance from 2016-17 to 2024-25 shows a maturing and resilient research ecosystem that has balanced expansion with a strategic change toward quality. The datasets have sharp cyclical declines and spectacular "batching" increases year-over-year, but the long-term structural tendency is good. Patents and book and chapter publishing have strong 13.06% and 5.07% CAGRs, respectively. Most importantly, a large multi-year spike in journals with NAAS rating > 10 shows that the apparent contraction in journal volume (-4.93% CAGR) is not a productivity decline but a deliberate institutional tilt toward high-impact research. The Institute has shown outstanding systemic resilience, moving away from volume-driven metrics to develop a rigorous, premium footprint in technology transfer and high-impact academic publications. ***

References

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